Online Reporter
Thupeyo Muleya, Beitbridge Bureau
Religious leaders in Beitbridge are mobilising the community to complement the government’s efforts in combating crime in the border town, where cases of housebreaking and robberies are on the rise.
Leaders from various denominations, with support from the Zimbabwe Republic Police, are conducting community engagement meetings to discuss pressing issues.
The main focus has been on fighting sexual and gender-based violence, drug and substance abuse among the youth, and incidents of robberies.
Led by the Beitbridge Pastors’ Fraternal, these religious leaders have also committed to playing a leading role in maintaining peace within communities as the festive season approaches.
“We have recently recorded an increase in crimes of concern in our area, and we are meeting with communities in order to reduce, end these cases in our town and district,” said Pastor Busani Moyo, secretary of the Beitbridge Pastors’ Fraternal.
“This is being done through community dialogue setup meetings at the Ward level, where we give our police officers an opportunity, platform to share tips, give advice and awareness to the participants from these wards.
“The objective of these engagements include to share advice and put prevention measures to end armed robberies in our community and related cases, to improve anonymous reporting, since some may have information and failing to notify our police, our officer in charge so that issues are handled with confidentiality.”
The religious leaders emphasised that they seek to allow participants to give their opinions on policing various crimes in their respective areas.
Pastor Moyo added that it is critical for the community and police to work together to protect valuables and properties from criminals, who tend to be more active during major holidays including Christmas, New Year, Easter, and school holidays.
“As the Beitbridge Pastors’ Fraternal, we want to give full support to our Government and the police so that we may create an environment with reduced crime,” said Pastor Moyo.
He also noted a worrying increase in youth involved in crime linked to drug abuse around Beitbridge.
“We believe that with our support and that from the general community, we will be able to minimize this vice,” added the pastor.
“So far, we have covered most of the urban wards and we will soon be spreading the engagements to selected wards in the rural part of the district.
“Most of the issues coming out from residents in the town area are that there is a need for our local authority to erect more tower and street lights in crime hotspots, and the police have been promoting the issue of anonymous reporting so that we deal decisively with crime.”
Beitbridge West Member of Parliament Thusani Ndou urged community members to desist from harboring criminals, even if they are family members.
He said bringing some criminals to justice also gives them an opportunity to be rehabilitated and turn their lives around.
The legislator expressed concern that some criminals are known but are being protected by the community.
“The church, community leaders, the police and ordinary community members need to have a social contract to protect our area from crime.
We can’t harbor criminals forever; it’s a matter of time before they strike even on their family members,” said the Member of Parliament.
Beitbridge town clerk Mr Loud Ramakgapola said they had received communications from the police concerning limited public lighting in the town amid rising robbery cases in some sections.
He added that the local authority had allocated funds in next year’s budget for the installation of five new tower lights in some suburbs.
Mr Ramakgapola also said they had agreed in principle with Econet Wireless to set up tower lights at some of its base stations in Beitbridge.
